Hundreds of nurses, lab techs and other workers are on strike at McLaren Macomb Hospital in Mount Clemens after contract negotiations have hit a roadblock.

A key sticking point is safe staffing levels, with nurses saying they’re getting burned out and there aren’t enough of them to maintain an adequate level of patient care.

Dina Carlisle, a registered nurse and president of OPEIU Local 40, says many of the support staff do not make a living wage.

“Many of them make poverty wages. They can apply for Medicaid and SNAP benefits,” she said. “No one should be working three jobs to make ends meet, and that’s what their fight is about.”

In a statement, a McLaren spokesperson says that staffing levels meet federal guidelines and the hospital group is planning to file charges of unfair labor practices against the union.

“The union’s narrative that we are unsafe and have horrible working conditions is an outright misrepresentation of the reality of the quality care provided at the hospital,” part of the statement read.  

Both sides have accused the other of bargaining in bad faith.

Carlisle said the union has offered to give up retention bonuses in return for the hospital hiring more workers.

“Pure and simple, we want safe staffing for our service group,” she said. “They’re the folks who are phlebotomists. They draw your blood, the sitters who sit with you when you’re not safe to be alone, the people who register you in the ER, we want them to have a living wage.”

McLaren brought in temporary workers to cover during the three-day strike — and because of that — the nurses will be locked out on Thursday and Friday, and back to work Saturday morning.

Detroit officials announced the launch of a new teen violence prevention plan in response to recent shooting incidents involving children in the city.

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At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Mike Duggan said the city will enforce a 10 p.m. curfew as part of the plan, adding that over the past month, 12 of the 20 shootings involving minors happened late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

“Whatever trouble teenagers may get into in the afternoon and the evening as you start to get to 11, 12, 1 in the morning — whether they’re drinking, whether they’re using substances, whether they’re just beefing — the behavior gets worse and worse,” he said.

Duggan says he will ask the Detroit City Council to raise the fines for parents whose kids are caught outside after curfew without adult supervision. 

Duggan is also authorizing more overtime for the Detroit Police Department, so officers will stay out later to enforce the curfew against groups of teenagers. 

Watch Duggan and Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison’s announcement about the effort here.

Reporting by Russ McNamara, WDET News

Other headlines for Monday, July 7, 2025:

• The city of Dearborn has unveiled another ability inclusive playscape. This third installment can be found at Lapeer Park, joining Ford Woods and Crowley parks in providing activities for children with special mobility needs. Dearborn Parks & Recreation worked with disability groups and families to design the park.
• Michigan residents now have the option to take the written portion of the driver’s education course online. The “KnowTo Drive” test can be taken at Michigan Secretary of State branches and offices, and is available in different languages. Eligible Michigan residents over 18 must verify proof of identity and pay a $6.50 convenience fee. They will also have to use a webcam to prove their identity.
• Detroit Documenters is a program that trains and pays people to take notes at public meetings in Detroit. Documenters is hosting a network-wide Virtual Note-taking Practice Session from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. Participants must complete an orientation training before participating in the note-taking training. The Documenters are also hosting a photo documenting workshop in Tech Town on July 15.  

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Police say the heroic actions of church members and staff at the CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne stopped a mass shooting on the property Sunday.

A livestream during services captured gunfire and panic when a man armed with a handgun and rifle and wearing a tactical vest hopped out of his truck and started shooting outside the church.

Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong says a security guard was shot in the leg by the attacker before a churchgoer and security staff were able to intervene.

“A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly,” he said. “At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing fatal wounds.”

The suspect — identified as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning — never made it inside the church, police say. The guard who was shot was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be fine. Nobody else was hurt.

The shooting occurred around 11 a.m. in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people located about 25 miles west of Detroit.

Strong put to rest racist social media speculation about the shooter.

“His motivations are unknown, but at this point, it appears he was suffering from a mental health crisis,” he said. “We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting.”

About 150 people were inside the church at the time.

Police executing a search warrant at Browning’s home in Romulus — about 5 miles south of Wayne — found additional rifles, several more handguns and a large amount of ammunition, according to The Associated Press.

Police say Browning had no prior criminal history, but he had attended services at the church a few times in the last year and his mother is a member.

Associated Press writers Paul Sancya and Holly Ramer contributed to this report. 

We’re past Memorial Day and kids are out of school. The summer tourism season is here.

But this year, Canadians are upset with President Donald Trump’s tariffs — and his talk of annexation. For that reason, many of our travel-happy neighbors to the north are staying out of the U.S.

Speaking with WDET, new U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra called Trump’s 51st state rhetoric “a sign of affection.”

“That may be the first time that America has extended an offer to someone else to become part of the country,” he said. “…why they’re offended by such a generous offer, I’m not sure.”

According to Statistics Canada, car trips by Canadians into the U.S. dropped by 35% in April; flights by Canadians into the U.S. are down by 20%; and border crossings between the two countries are now at their lowest levels since the 2020 pandemic.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says that’s not good for Michigan.

“We know that Canadians are our friends, they’re our extended relatives in many cases, in many families,” she said. “Michigan loves Canada. Our economies are intertwined.”

Whitmer says the president is killing the good vibes between the countries.

“The chaos on the Trump tariff talk is palpable,” Whitmer said. “You can you can feel it just talking to people here. You can feel it at home. We can feel it in our tourism.”

Canadians spend more than $360 million every year in Michigan on average — about 10% of the state’s total tourism revenue.

Michigan is consistently in the top six for Canadian tourist destinations, after bigger ones like Florida, California and Las Vegas.

As the CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, Brian Calley knows the importance of the state’s tourism industry.

“We have year-round tourism, but summer is the time in Michigan where a lot of businesses make their opportunity,” Calley said.

The bigger challenge for resort towns is finding enough workers, he said, downplaying concerns about drops in Canadian tourism.

“Early indications are that that bookings are solid, that people are still booking hotels,” Calley said.

Though he acknowledged that a dip in tourism could possibly be felt more in communities near the border.

“[Places] where Canadians live right across the border and experience, in very short periods, shopping and things,” he said. “I think that’s probably more vulnerable than, say, the week-long family vacation.”

Michel Soucisse manages El Moore, a lodge offering overnight stays in Midtown Detroit. He says he agrees with Calley…to a point.

“We’re a border town, and unfortunately, border towns feel this first, and our businesses are the ones who are absorbing the impact first,” Soucisse said. “None of these small businesses asked for this. You know, we’re just sort of rolling with the punches. Everyone’s seeing a slow down. Everyone’s getting the emails saying ‘we’re sorry, but we’re not spending our money here right now.'”

Emails like those mean a hit to the bottom line.

“I would say it looks right now compared to last year and year over year that we’ve experienced something around a 15% drop in their travel,” he said, adding that he doesn’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.

“We already had so many regular guests, that it was really kind of heart wrenching for some folks to cancel plans that they had already made — sometimes a year in advance. But I don’t necessarily blame them,” Soucisse said. “This is a way that they can show us their displeasure with the current situation, and ‘this is the way we can protest.’”

The same is happening in Detroit’s emerging foodie scene.

Sandy Levine is a James Beard semi-finalist and the owner of two of Detroit’s most-heralded restaurants: Freya and Chartreuse. He says lots of Canadians used to make the trek over the border.

“A large amount of people have come to Detroit because they they heard really good things about it, and they just wanted to see for themselves. And you know, for the first time, that steady increase has kind of stopped,” Levine said. “We certainly still see people from Canada and from other countries, but it’s not nearly to the degree that it was maybe like six months ago or a year ago.”

Levine’s theory for the change? Again, bad vibes.

“There’s definitely a sense of just, kind of tension in this country, and I think a lot of the people are looking to just avoid that,” he said.

So if a city like Detroit is seeing an immediate impact, how about places not quite as close to the border?

Robert Chambers helps manage the Windermere Hotel, a bed and breakfast on Mackinac Island.

“We’ve definitely had some regulars who’ve had to cancel their reservation, and they’re from Northern Ontario. They stay with us every year,” Chambers said. “Unfortunately, about two months prior to our opening, though, they contacted us and said they wouldn’t be able to make it to the States this year.”

Chambers told WDET in late May that they didn’t have a single booking from a Canadian. It’s significant, even if Canadians don’t make up a large portion of their guests.

“So not a huge dip as far as numbers go, but we still really look forward to seeing friends and loyal customers at the hotel every year. It’s unfortunate that they can’t make it now,” he said.

And being over an hour away from Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, he figures short term stays to the island will be limited too.

There’s a feeling — from some — that the bad vibes aren’t permanent. Or as Ambassador Hoekstra puts it: “The Canadians are, you know, they’re acting on emotion.”

Back in Detroit at the El Moore, Soucisse says that’s true. He became an American citizen a decade ago, but he’s originally from Montreal.

“I know for a fact that my French Canadian family — or as we call ourselves, Quebecois — do not want to be a 51st state, and will not be a 51st state,” Soucisse said. “I hear the steady drumbeat from my friends and family over there.”

He says Canadian guests have been pretty honest about their motivations for canceling upcoming reservations or choosing not to spend their money in the U.S. right now.

“I thought it was great that they were letting us know,” he said. “Oftentimes they would include messages like, you know, we’ll be back. You know, someday.”

With Trump’s trade war far from settled, a crackdown on immigrants and people from other countries, and ongoing threats to send federal troops into American cities, it’s unclear when that “someday” will be. That could pose a serious risk to a tourism industry that’s still recovering from the pandemic.

We are less than two months away from the August primary in the race for Detroit Mayor.

The top two vote getters will move on to the general election in November. The top four candidates, as decided by polling, participated in a debate here at Wayne State University on Monday that led to this spicy moment with former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins calling out the other people on stage — former police chief James Craig, pastor Solomon Kinloch and current City Council President Mary Sheffield.

“More guns in schools, locking up our kids — Craig is your guy. If you want a part-time mayor who is working two full-time jobs, Kinloch is ready,” Jenkins said. “If you want a mayor who shows up on Instagram but doesn’t show up for meetings, then follow Mary.”

Not on stage and not taking any of those shots was Detroit Councilman and mayoral candidate Fred Durhal III. However, he did take the time to release a comprehensive economic strategy — something that no other candidate has done.

Durhal joined WDET’s All Things Considered – Detroit on Wednesday to talk about the motivation behind his economic platform and his reaction to Monday’s debate.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Russ McNamara, WDET News: First off, you weren’t at the debate; I want your thoughts on the shots fired there by Saunteel Jenkins.

Fred Durhal, Detroit City Councilmember and mayoral candidate: Well, you know, sometimes shots get fired.If they hit you, they hit you. My grandmother had an old saying that “if you throw a rock in a pack of wolves, the first one that cries is the first one that got hit,’ So, you know, the base tend to get a little bit punchy, but, I think folks want to hear comprehensive plans when it comes to debates.

RM: Moving on to your plan — big bold letters, right at the top: “An equitable tax strategy.” Where is the inequity right now?

FD: Well, the inequity is really what homeowners pay as opposed to folks who speculate on land or folks who are contributors to blight here in the city of Detroit. I’ll give you an example — we have a lot of underdeveloped land here in the city of Detroit; a lot of the land that may be just flat surface parking lots that during the Tigers game or the Lions game, and — per year — generate over $2-$3 million per year, but pay just a little over $10,000 in property taxes, while the average homeowner is paying that or more in property taxes. So the equity is not there.

We want to make sure that we are charging folks more who are not paying their fair share, and put more money back into the pockets of the residents who are paying their property taxes.

RM: Now, what about those properties that exist, but the homes are still a bit run down?

FD: So if there are properties that exist and the homes are run down — if they’re not owner occupied — we are going to focus on creating a blight tax here in the city of Detroit. And again, this is not for owner occupied homes or structures. We’re targeting folks who are speculators, who come into neighborhoods and buy 10 to 15 properties, sit on those properties, don’t provide any upgrades to those properties; They’re contributors to blight here in the city of Detroit, and then neighbors are stuck with blight in their neighborhood. So we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to introduce a blight tax and charge 25 times with the property tax millage is.

RM: Now the current mayor, Mike Duggan, tried to institute some taxes and kind of raise the property taxes on speculators — people who are leaving the land vacant — by going through the state Legislature. How close does your plan come to the one that Duggan tried and failed to get done?

FD: I think what’s important to realize is, when you talk about property tax reform in any manner, it’s going to take passage from the state Legislature — anything that is of substance. So when we compare our plan to his plan, there are similarities, but again, we’re going to be very aggressive on lowering the operating mills about 19.5 mills. Additionally, you heard about the implementation of that blight tax, which is going to charge 25 times what the property millage rate is, for folks who are contributors to blight. And we’re very confident, due to the relationships that we’ve had in the state Legislature — being a former member of the Michigan Legislature and in leadership — that we’ll be able to get our plan across the finish line.

RM: What makes you think that you can get it done when a completely democratically-controlled state Legislature, with a Democratic governor,  weren’t able to get it done?

FD: They didn’t even take a vote on it. And I think for me, having those relationships are going to be important. And I think at the time from the conversation with some legislators, they did not feel it was aggressive enough, and some folks needed to see the benefit that it would bring to their community — not just the city of Detroit. So we’ve already started to have those discussions with legislators now about how this would affect their communities. But again, the components that we’re adding, such as a blight tax, is something that’ll be beneficial across the entire state when we talk about getting aggressive.

RM: The people who own the parking lots, the people who own the buildings in downtown Detroit, those are some rich folks who wield a considerable amount of power. I’m just wondering how you expected to get that done and have it go over well?

FD: Again, that’s relationships, and that’s coalition building. You have to be able to get into the door to talk to some of the heads of industry, as well as have a great pulse in the community. And I think we have that, and we have the ability to bridge that gap. And what we’re saying is we’re not trying to penalize folks, but we’re trying to incentivize development here in the city of Detroit. We’re trying to incentivize folks not to be contributors to blight here in the city. And as we look at some of that underdeveloped land, and we start to see that land become developed, we solve a couple problems. One, we have the ability to create new streams of revenue that we can generate so we can put back into the neighborhoods and continue to grow our city. But the second thing that you’ll see is creating walkable areas and neighborhoods.

Let’s say we take a flat lot surface and it gets developed into a huge parking structure. We know parking is starting to become a big issue here in the city of Detroit — and I’m just using that as an example of how we can solve some of these problems and find productive uses for the land that we have.

“I’ve said it throughout this entire campaign, I want to cut more red tape so we can cut more red ribbons, and that is going to be my focus.”

–Detroit City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Fred Durhal III

RM: There’s been a push both at the state level and local level to start cutting some red tape. How do you do that effectively in the city?

FD: I’ve said it throughout this entire campaign, I want to cut more red tape so we can cut more red ribbons, and that is going to be my focus. And we’ll do that by focusing on and streamlining processes here in the city of Detroit. We want a one-stop permitting process that develops a level of predictability that when you want to come do business here in the city of Detroit, you don’t have to go through over 80 steps to get your business started here, no matter if it’s a restaurant, whether it’s retail or whatever the case may be. And then after that, even as we talk about development, we want to create a one-stop inspection process so you don’t have to wait two, three months at a time per inspector, which slows down your process, and slows down the progress of your development, making it more expensive.

We want to make it easier to do business here, we want to be more efficient, and we want to foster an environment where everyone wants to come here and do business and develop in the city.

RM: What’s the one thing you want Detroiters to know about
you?

FD: The one thing I want Detroiters to know about us, even if they didn’t get an opportunity to see us in this past debate, is that we are a very serious candidate, and the most experienced candidate in this race. We’re the only candidate that can say that we served on the state level as well as the city level; we have delivered time and time again, and as the mayor of the city of Detroit, we will continue to develop because we’ll utilize that experience to get comprehensive property tax relief across Lansing and bring home the dollars here for residents in the city of Detroit.